


The Empty Chair  in Starbucks

by orphan_account



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-09
Updated: 2013-03-11
Packaged: 2017-12-04 19:43:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/714369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce has left Pepper. The events that follow after~</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Gone

Pepper stirred her coffee with a vacant expression. This was where she found herself most days. She'd finish the tasks Tony set her and then leave the Tower. Then she'd go to Starbucks, or something similar. She'd buy a coffee and sit in the seat near the window. The one where you could see all the passers by. All the busy people, going about their daily lives. Different types of people. Pepper liked looking at them, making up little scenarios in her head about where they came from and where they were going to. They didn't need to know she was watching them. _It's true_ , thought Pepper. _Life really is about the journey._ When people walked past that window they were on a journey. Granted, possibly a little one, but a journey nonetheless. Not many people ever sat at the window table. Pepper had never really known why. She loved the window seat. It was special to her. But that night, Pepper didn't notice someone slide into the other seat. It had been empty for so long. She always sat on the right. He sat on the left. It was how it worked. But now he wasn't there. She was alone. The empty chair at Starbucks. Sometimes she imagined him sitting there. Just like on their first date. He'd be wearing the ragged clothes that made such an impression on her. His soft face would be smiling at her, his eyes sparkling with life. But he wasn't really there.  
"Pepper?" Pepper looked up. It was Natasha.  
"That's me," she replied, stirring her coffee. Natasha didn't reply, immediately. She just looked at Pepper. Pepper didn't like this. She had no idea what Natasha was thinking and that was making her uncomfortable.  
"Look, Pepper. I know it's hard. Nearly impossibly hard. But you need to move on. You can't sit around forever." Natasha knew it was probably useless but Tony had asked her to try. Pepper remained silent so Natasha left. She had tried. 

A week later, Natasha was sat with Clint on the couch, watching Buffy. Tony walked in.  
"Have you seen Pepper?"  
"Can't say I have," Clint answered.  
"She hasn't come out of her office for a week," Natasha said.  
"Is it still-"  
"-the Bruce thing?" Natasha finished. "I think so." Tony nodded.  
"I mean, she's sending me all the details for things I need to know. But I haven't seen her face." Tony sighed. "Let me know if you see- Pepper." He turned around and smiled at her, cautiously. Nat had said she had been reclusive and kept to herself ever since Bruce left.  
"Hi everyone!" Pepper sheepishly waved and hurried into the kitchen. She emerged with 4 cups of coffee and handed one to everyone, keeping one for herself.  
"Um, thanks. Are you okay?" Nat looked at Pepper, confused.  
"I'm absolutely fine, thanks. It's a grand day. How about you?" Pepper smiled and sipped her coffee. "Mmm."  
"I'm alright."  
"Pep, you sure you're fine?" Tony asked.  
"Ship shape!"  
"You mean, you're not upset about the whole, uh, Bruce thing?"  
"No, no. Of course not. That's a thing of the past. Time to move on."  
"Um, okay." Tony was confused. Pepper grinned enthusiastically and sat on the sofa. "What are you watching?"  
"Buffy," Clint glanced at Pep. "Want to watch something else?"  
"No, no! Buffy's great. What's happening in this episode?"  
"Um, Oz left Willow." Natasha shot a worried glance at Clint.  
"Great episode," Tony butted in and say down with them.  
"I do like some Buffy," Pepper chuckled. They watched for a bit, silent.  
"Why did he leave her?" Pepper spoke up, breaking the silence. No one answered at first. Pepper nudged Natasha. "Tell me."  
"He left because he was afraid her hurt her."  
"He could've stayed." The others were getting nervous now.  
"He could've at least said a proper goodbye. A decent one. He didn't say where he was going. He just left. He loved her! She loved him! But he left for an indefinite amount of time. I loved him. We were in love." Pepper's eyes were tearing up. "I don't know what I did and I just want to know what he was thinking." She started shaking. "I-I just want to know why he won't call me." Then she broke into full sobs.  
"Oh no, Pep, don't." Tony hugged her. She put her head in her hands and sobbed uncontrollably. Tony looked at Nat, not knowing quite how to react. She didn't know either.  
"Hey shush, Pepper," Clint took over. "It's gonna be okay. Everything's okay."  
"You don't know that," she whispered, her voice wavering.  
"I do. It's all fine." He kept reassuring her until she dried her eyes and looked at him. "Ah, sorry. Thank you. This is not me. I'm fine. Okay maybe I'm not. Just a little bit of a mess."  
"You can be like this, Pep. It's alright. Normal even," Natasha said.  
"Okay. Okay. I'm alright. Alrighty."  
"You could go find him?" Tony suggested.  
"I don't know where he's gone. He's gone. Forever maybe."  
"No. Bruce will come back. He can't stay away forever," Tony squeezed Pepper's hand. "He'll come back for you." She sniffed and buried her head in his shoulder.  
"I really do hope so."


	2. The following months

Things got better.  
Pepper coped.


	3. The once-again occupied chair

He came back.   
It was a Friday evening in the winter. The white snow dusted the rooftops and the sky was a dark grey. Pepper watched the world go by from the window in Starbucks. Even though she had moved on, she still liked to go to the familiar scene. Old habits die hard. She hugged her cup of coffee and watched the flakes slowly drift down from the sky. She liked how they danced on the wind. She wondered what it would be like to be a snowflake; free and without a care in the world. What a silly thought. She smiled to herself. She often had these strange thoughts here. Just like when Bruce would sit opposite her. _No,_ she thought. _Not going to think about that. We've both moved on._ But she couldn't quite move on. She closed her eyes and relived the memories. Of course she was oblivious to the man slowly pulling the chair out opposite her and sitting down.   
"Pepper?" A soft voice broke her thought. She opened her eyes slowly. _I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming._  
"Bruce?" He nodded and reached for her hand across the table. She pulled her hand away quickly, knocking over her coffee.   
"Pepper. I'm sorry."   
"Be quiet. Stop. You're not here. You're gone. Go away. Back. Go." Bruce looked at her, concerned.  
"Pepper, please."  
"Can't. Do. This." She stood up and ran out. Bruce followed.  
"Hey, Pep. I'll buy you some more coffee. We can talk." This was real. Pepper knew that now. She felt so cold and it wasn't only the snow.  
"No. You left! You were gone. And now you think you can come back. Why now?! Will a cup of coffee really fix it? I hate to break it to you, Banner, but you can't expect everything to fall into place as easy as one of your little science projects!"  
Bruce ran a hand through his hair. "They're not easy. I-I didn't expect this to be easy. It's not. It's really not. But, uh I like you Pep. I like you a lot. I made a mistake. I'm sorry. I don't think I can really put into words how sorry I truly am." Pepper looked at him, her eyes glistening wet.  
"Damn you. I can't stay mad- No! No! You left me. You didn't even say goodbye properly. I just wanted us to be happy. You left. I coped even though I was all broken inside. I put on a brave face and kept on living. I moved on."  
"You were sat in the spot we used to sit in."  
"Because I want it to be how it used to be. Stop, Bruce! You're breaking me." Bruce took a step towards her.  
"Goddammit," Pepper whispered and hugged him. "I missed you so much, you big jerk."  
"Can we start again?" Bruce rubbed her back softly.  
"I'd quite like to."


End file.
